According to our Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, the main reason of outgoing national diving head coach Yang Zhuliang’s contract not being extended is because there is a culture and environment of fear among our national divers which had led to a rape case, sexual assault, violence, bullying and extortion incidents. Khairy was referring to the case of former national coach Huang Qiang, who is being charged with raping a national diver earlier in October.
On one hand, Khairy acknowledges Zhuliang’s success since taking charge of our national diving team in 2008 and that Zhuliang was not involved in those criminal incidents, but on the other hand, held the latter responsible for “allowing such incidents to spread”.
Our country is in shock and disbelief at the minister’s damning accusations against Zhuliang which carry criminal intonations. Should Khairy’s ministry lodge multiple police complaints about Zhuliang’s conduct in creating “a culture and environment of fear of among our national divers” as well as allowing criminal incidents such as “a rape case, sexual assault, violence, bullying and extortion”?
After all, Khairy needs not give reasons for not renewing Zhuliang’s contract since the latter’s contract expires on 31 Dec 2017 and Khairy’s ministry has no legal duty whatsoever to renew it. But for our minister to have voiced out his concern on the possible detrimental effects on our national dive team and this being the reason for not renewing Zhuliang’s contract, there must be some substantiated evidence to Khairy’s accusations. Under the Malaysian law, an accused person, including Huang Qiang, is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Does Khairy understand that his accusations may ruin an innocent man’s life?
And to take it a step further, should all head coaches’ behaviour and responsibilities be looked into to ensure other national sports teams do not also fall into the same plights?
Zhuliang has since denied Khairy’s accusations and all Zhuliang wants to do now is to return to China to take care of his parents. However, he is advised to make a police report for criminal defamation if he does not want the shame and guilt to follow him to his grave. He may also seek damages for his wrecked reputation in our civil court against the Youth and Sports Minister.